Parker SR1 Stainless Steel Straight Edge Razor and 5 Shark Super Stainless blades

Comment: This was my first time trying a straight edge razor. I wasn't impressed. I had been using a $20 electric hair & beard trimmer I picked up on Amazon that shaves really well without any nicks or razorburn, but it doesn't shave down to the baby smooth skin like those shaving devices with sharp razor blades are hyped up to do. I thought this would give me a great shave, but it did not. After comparing my first shave with this to my electric hair trimmer, there is no comparison, my electric hair trimmer shaved closer! There also isn't any special learning curve, shaving cream, brushes, or razor blades involved to change out after every couple of shaves which makes it more enviromentally friendly, IMO. I also tried the Bump Fighter razor to get a close shave, and that sucked even more than the straight edge razor did. I'm sticking with my electric trimmer for now on.

Comment: I've always wanted to shave with a straight razor, but i don't know how to strop and sharpen a traditional straight razor, nor do I want to spend 100 dollars on a Dovo blade right now, so i figured this would be a way to go. A word of warning, you WILL cut your face, but it won't be that bad, but there will be a lot of blood, mostly because it's a razor. I bought this set a year ago, and after a short break from it, I barely nick myself, after a total of about a month and a half actually using it. I would recommend that you do research on straight razor shaving first, so you know how to do it with minimal pain and discomfort.

One more thing, the handle on this is plastic, i thought it was steel when i bought it.

Comment: This razor is priced right for those wanting to experiment with straight razor shaving. The price is right and the experience is fun, once you quit cutting yourself up! Great razor, make sure to get some Feather Blades to go with it!

Comment: Look, when it comes to your face, how much is it worth? $30 (Parker DE safety razor), $245 (Sheffield steel straight), $17 (this thing)??... Gentlemen, do your selves a favor and avoid this device. Here is some feedback regarding it:

Pros:
1) It is small, so it can fit in your travel case.

2) It is stainless steel, so it will last forever.

3) It is very good at shaving lighter areas like the backs of necks below the hairline.

Cons:
1) It has no weight, so if your beard is heavy like mine, it doesn't have the engineering for cutting close or smoothly without you having to apply too much pressure. Ultimately, this results in one cutting themselves.

2) The blades are useless after one shave. For some reason, the blades for the single edge straight razors don't last as long as DE safety razor blades, so you end up using too many blades.

3) All straights take longer to shave with than most safety razors or electric razors. However, this one takes more time than traditional straights because of the lack of weight. I would say that it can take you close to 20-30 minutes to shave properly with this thing, and that includes getting nicks and cuts in the process.

4) NICKS!!! CUTS!!! RAZOR BURN!! BLOOD!!!! Like most of these guys on here say, the learning curve is STEEP!! It is so steep that you cut yourself more than necessary... look, this is your face you are dealing with. Do yourself a favor and follow my recommendations below:

Recommendations/Alternatives:
For those who want a close, clean, and time efficient shave, I recommend the Parker 82R Super HeavyWeight Butterfly Open Safety Razor and 10 Shark Double Edge Blades or the Parker Safety Razor - 91R Super Heavyweight Double Edge and 10 Shark Chrome Blades. Parker makes excellent DE safety razors. I currently own and use the Parker 82R, and it gives me fabulously close shaves. The Parker 91R is also known to give fabulous shaves. If you want to go with a good straight razor, buy a real, strop-before-every-use straight razor by a company like Thiers-Issard, Dovo, or a good vintage brand. Real straights have weight, so you save time and flesh.

Good shaving.

Comment: I'm new to the world of straight shaving and I didn't want to spend a whole lot of money on something that I possibly wouldn't continue using. I also didn't want to deal with stropping or honing the blade. This is a great entry level straight razor. The disposable blades are very easy to insert and they're pretty sharp too (The blade refills are also dirt cheap too). Staring with a straight razor isn't nearly as traumatic or painful as most other people make it sound. Just go s l o w and take your time, browse the how to videos on youtube and read through the forums on sites such as [...] or [...]. You'll be shaving like a pro in no time.
I bought enough blades to carry me through about 2 years and it still cost less than a pack if the 5 blade disposables. I'm going to use the money I save and put it towards a proper Dovo or Thiers Issard in the future.
And if you're still hesitant to start wet shaving, you can still get a better shave with a disposable by ditching you canned shaving cream and using a brush and shaving soap. Some shaving snobs may put down the boar hair brushes saying that badger is the only way to go, but even boar hair is better than no hair. Buy a cheap brush and see for yourself the difference it makes.